Strength
by kalamiah
Summary: In the end, their strength was only an illusion. A little AU-ish on the Future Past DLC. {MaleMu x Tiki}


**A/N: **_I made this it's own story because it's quite large, (compared to the rest of Chiaroscuro) and a bit...darker. Honestly if this should be M someone tell me...I kinda broke my own heart writing it...enjoy! _

_(also I would like to apologize for my mangled interpretation of the Future Past DLC)_

* * *

The cold marble walls of Ylisse's castle were unfamiliar to her. She'd flown all the way here after getting word of what had happened. Exhausted, she leaned against one of the pillars and sighed. Lucina would be here soon.

Her sharp eyes caught a figure blinking into existence at the end of the hall. It was a familiar, hooded man. Her heart began to race.

Within seconds, he had closed the distance and was next to her. All she could make out was the lower half of his face, but she knew who it was. It was his strong jaw that she had so often kissed, his mischievous smirk.

It was like a clock raced ever forward in the manakete's ears. A clock counting down to the end of her world.

"R-Robin..."

She stood before the fell dragon whole and unharmed, but it wouldn't last long. Her death played on a loop in his red eyes. Tiki clenched her hands together, twisting the ring Robin had given her.

_"Tiki, I know there's a divide between us. There's millions of years keeping us apart, but I would like to keep you company for as long as I can. Will you marry me?"_

He hadn't known his time would be cut short. He hadn't known, and it was killing her to stand before him now.

"Tiki."

He said her name in very much the same way Robin had. It was a trick, and she believed herself strong enough to fight it.

"No, you aren't Robin. Don't try that with me, Grima."

Grima blinked, and his eyes snapped from red to brown instantly. "I am. Robin chose me."

"He...he would never."

Robin's mouth opened wide, like he was laughing at something silly she had done, but a crazed dragon's screech came out. "I made him believe you were dead. I made him believe my monsters had gutted you. I played visions in his head, I threaded despair through his thoughts. In the end, he came willingly."

"I don't believe you. Robin was..strong."

Grima threw off Robin's cloak. Whereas the mark had been confined to the back of Robin's hand, it had spread all over him, twisting up his arms and across his back in dark purple lines. It pulsed, as if connected to his heart. He maneuvered Robin's body to walk up to her, so that their bodies were not touching, but close.

"He screamed in agony, thinking you were gone. This blood on my hands was caused by him. In his wrath, he destroyed the very people he once fought me to protect. Does that sound like strength to you? Does this look like he could possibly win?"

He smirked when she gasped and tears started to roll down her face. _No, I am...stronger than this..._

"Everything changed when he saw you standing here, very much alive. He fights me even now. Oh, how he _screams_. He curses and beats the inside of my mind, but I am strongest."

"No!" Tiki gasped. She reached out, pummeled his chest with her fists. Even if human form, the dragon's might was still there. He growled and captured her wrists.

"Robin is dead to you, Tiki, and you are dead to him. Forget him, and die. Such is the will of Grima."

She threw her head back and screamed, trying in vain and reach the dragonstone around her throat. To her surprise, he let her go.

Tiki reeled backward, hands around the stone, but not activating it. Something was off about him. Robin had fallen to his knees, and was looking with horror at his hands. His fingers stretched back and forth, contorted into a claw shape.

"Tiki? What's happened? No..." Robin's voice, as pure and sweet as before, came from his mouth.

"Robin?!"

He jerked, his head bent backward at an unnatural angle. "NO! I am the strongest, and you are NOTHING." When his head jerked forward again, his eyes were a piercing red, and his lips twisted back into a malicious grin.

"I told you, Tiki! He fights, but he is weak!"

"Why are you doing this?!" she ripped the stone from its cord and prepared to raise her fist, but his eyes faded to brown again.

"Tiki, please. You have to run. I am not me anymore. I failed you, and I failed the others. You...do as he says. Forget me. Run, and help the children..." A tear rolled down his cheek. His chest heaved as he struggled to breathe.

"I'm...sorry...I..lost..Morgan..."

"_SILENCE_." an unearthly yell came from Robin. Purple ash poured from his eyes and mouth, and he rose, advancing toward Tiki.

"I do this to crush your hope. I do this because you are weak. I do this because I have been wronged, and _you will all pay_."

Tiki looked around wildly, and spotted Lucina standing at the base of the stairs, half hidden behind a pillar. Robin was disorienting Grima enough that he hadn't noticed her yet. The girl's eyes were wide with fear, the brand of Naga plainly visible. Tears streaked her cheeks.

Tiki sighed, and lowered her hands. The stone fell out and rolled across the floor.

"You can kill me, Grima. But hope will never die, as long as those children live."

"They too will meet their end," it growled.

She clenched her fists, and met his eyes. Those menacing, evil eyes that foresaw her death, those eyes that had once looked at her with nothing but kindness and love.

"They will not. You have taken my husband, my daughter, and all those I've loved. You will take my life, but not because you are strongest. Because I freely give it. For them. To give them life."

Grima snarled. He had no more words for her. His hand raised to the sky, gathering dark magic in his palm.

Tiki closed her eyes. "I love you, Robin."

She didn't notice the brief flicker in his eyes, or the lone tear that escaped. He brought his hand down.

Lucina covered her mouth to keep from screaming as Tiki's body slammed into one the pillars. She sucked in a breath, and ran.

* * *

The battle for their future was over, but they had not won yet. Grima stood silent as his battered body healed itself, and let hatred consume him. Why hadn't he tamped Robin's conscious down more fiercely? Because he enjoyed toying with him. He was not a god. He had vices, like any mortal man. Vices that would be his downfall.

"Where did you take them?" The princess screamed, pointing Falchion's tip at his throat.

"They're back in their world, most likely. The man who used to control this body...he is not completely gone," he admitted. "He loved your Father, once. But that is all gone now. Your hope is gone."

"What do you-"

"Stupid child! You are alone! Naga is-"

"No, she isn't!" a girl's voice broke in. Severa, Noire, Kjelle, Nah, and Cynthia appeared. Cynthia held the gemstone high from atop her Pegasus. "We did it, Luce!"

"You're alive," Lucina breathed.

Before Grima could interject, the rest of the kids appeared. "We're here too!" Owain yelled. Beside him, Inigo held up the gemstone they had retrieved.

Grima broke up their celebration with a roar. "It matters not! Naga is dead!"

Everything fell silent. The fell dragon smirked. "I killed her long ago. Did you really think I would allow you to perform the awakening?"

The children cowered. Only Lucina didn't back down. "You lie!"

"Try it then! Try it and see that your hope is dead!" His palms gathered dark magic again, and he prepared to unleash it on them. "I have won!"

"No, Grima."

The soft voice pervaded his thoughts and threatened to shut him down completely. Robin, who he thought had been dead ever since using the last of his power to send away the outworld shepherds, suddenly awoke and began to fight again.

"You are not as strong or wise as you think. You did not account for me. As Naga's child, I have the ability to succeed her. I am this world's new Naga."

"I killed you!" Grima screeched.

"You took my life, but not my spirit. The man inside you-my husband-intervened."

"Meddling fool!"

"Because of your defilement of Mount Prism, Naga's power had focused elsewhere. Right here, in the remains of my body, which you foolishly left."

Tiki laughed, turning to Lucina. "The awakening can be performed. Lucina, are you ready?"

The princess nodded, and began to speak the words.

"I will not let you! I will kill you first!" Grima pulled back his arm to toss a spell at her, but his arm jerked, then fell limp at his side. "NO! Why must you keep interfering?! Everyone you love is dead! Your wife, your child!"

"Robin," Tiki called. She appeared next to him, and put a hand on his cheek. Grima pulled the other arm up to attack her, but it too fell limp.

"You are strong, but your time is over. Our time is over. Still him until Lucina has killed Grima, then let go. I will see you soon." She smiled. Robin's body shook with sobs. "Tiki...I'm sorry this happened...I love you, so much."

The manakete gave his shaking lips one final kiss, then disappeared.

Grima screamed. "I would CRUSH you all if I could just CONTROL my BODY! Why does he still REFUSE ME?" His voice was disjointed, a mixture of Robin and the fell dragon.

The Voice reappeared next to the princess. "Come, Lucina. Your first task as exalt is here. Destroy the fell dragon, and bring hope back to the world!"

A fire engulfed Lucina's body. When it dissipated, the hole in Falchion's blade was lit with a blue light. "I swear to you all," she yelled. "This ends here! Father...Mother...watch over me. Because now, I'm ending all the pain you have caused, Grima!"

The future kids all yelled encouragement. Lucina readied her blade, and ran forward with a cry.

"Hope will never die!"

Robin smiled as Falchion pierced his chest. "It's...finally over," he coughed. "I won't...hurt..anyone..else..."

The children watched as what they knew as Grima fell back, blood streaming from his lips.

"T-Thank...you...Lucina. I hope...you..live..happily. Mor...gan. Tiki...I..am a...terrible..man. Forgive...me."

He faded away into purple smoke, and the air cleared, leaving the children in a stunned silence.

_I can't wait to see you again, love. _

"Well done, Lucina."

Tiki spoke to the princess, but her eyes were on the place where Grima had been.

"Ah, Lady Tiki! Without you, we could not have won. I would also have liked to thank those mysterious warriors..."

The Voice smiled, and shook her head. "We were only able to help because you stayed strong, Lucina. Even against terrible odds, you refused to give up. From now on, you will the foundation upon which a peaceful world is built."

Lucina smiled brightly. "And you as well, my lady."

"No. My time here is finished. I shall go to be with my family," Tiki explained, looking off into the sky.

"But..."

"Do not worry. I will always be watching over you, as the hero-king are your parents are."

"T-Thank you, Lady Tiki. I will not disappoint you all."

The manakete smiled. "I know you won't, Lucina. May we meet again, hopefully under better circumstances. Do not grieve for me. Build a happy world."

Lucina watched as Tiki's spirit slowly turned to dust, and drifted off into the sky.

_Now we can have eternity together, Robin. As I have always dreamed._


End file.
